5 Best LED Grow Lights Under $500: Your Buyer’s Guide

1. 1. Viparspectra Dimmable Series 600W LED Grow Light

   

   Price: $69.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • 600W
   • Compares to 250W HPS light
   • Very highly reviewed
   • Dimmable
   • 2 ft. x 2 ft. coverage area
   • Full spectrum

   Cons:

   • No reflectors on LEDs
   • Only covers 2" x 2"
   • One customer found it too loud

   This Viparspectra LED grow light stands out because it’s an awesome LED grow light under $500 available on Amazon, that’s beloved by home growers, and it’s super cheap.

   This 600W light has a full spectrum that compares to a traditional 250 Watt HPS light, but only around 132 watts of energy. It is bright enough to cover an area of about 2 feet x 2 feet.

   This light has fans and aluminum heat sinks to make sure it doesn’t get too hot.

   It’s also dimmable, so you can customize it for each stage of plant growth. It also comes with a 2-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee. The company provides great customer service, so you can call them for assistance with your lighting and grow questions.

   Find more Viparspectra Dimmable Series LED Grow Light information and reviews here.

2. 2. Advanced Platinum Series P150

   

   Price: $229.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Five year warranty
   • High PAR/Lumen output
   • Upgraded heat sinks for more energy efficiency
   • 11-band spectrum (perfect for both flowering and veg)
   • Two quiet cooling fans

   Cons:

   • Fans may be loud in a small space
   • Lower band sprectrum than some other models
   • Metal casing not the highest quality available

   These cheap LED grow lights stand out because they’re made by Advanced Platinum.

   Advanced Platinum is known for excellent LED grow lights. Their grow equipment is known for lasting forever, producing high yields, and conserving energy.

   Their lights also boast the highest PAR/Lumen output of any LED grow light, with two to three times the intensity of other lights. This light is perfect for mid-size grows, with an 11-band spectrum, a primary 60-degree lens, plus a 90-degree secondary focusing lens. (LED lights rely on lenses to focus the light.)

   These high-quality lenses boost light intensity. This light will work well for both vegetative and flowering states.

   When your plants are ready to flower, you can just flip one switch to flip these lights to flowering mode.

   It also has two high speed, quiet cooling fans, and upgraded aluminum heat sinks. The coverage is 4.5′ x 3.8′, and can be combined with multiple units for greater coverage. Advanced Platinum couples this awesome light with a five-year warranty and ninety-day no-questions-asked guarantee.

   Find more Advanced Platinum Series P300 information and reviews here.

3. 3. VIPARSPECTRA 1200W LED Grow Light (Veg + Bloom Switches; Full Spectrum)

   

   Price: $269.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Well known brand with excellent customer service and tons of positive reviews
   • Includes both veg and bloom channels
   • Can replace a traditional 800W HPS/MH lamp while consuming only 520 watts
   • Three year warranty
   • More red wavelengths in bloom channel to promote bud growth

   Cons:

   • Viparspectra models in black casing MAY not emit as much white wavelengths as the lamps in white casing
   • Fan can be loud
   • May need to contact customer service to replace fan if it's loud

   This VIPARSPECTRA 1200W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light stands out because it’s one of the most well-reviewed grow lights on Amazon.

   Thanks to its veg and bloom options, you’ll be able to flip over to more flower-friendly wavelengths without changing your lights — while keeping your plants happy.

   This 1200 Watt light can replace a traditional 800W HPS/MH light. But it will only draw 520W — helping you save big on energy costs!

   This light covers an area of 3.5″ x 3.5″ (flowering).

4. 4. Marshydro Reflector 600W LED Grow Light

   

   Price: $69.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • 720 Watts
   • US based customer service
   • Three year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee
   • High quality and well built

   Cons:

   • Extremely bright, may hurt eyes
   • Some reviewers received confusing messages from emailing customer service
   • Some reviewers had bulbs burn out early

   This MarsHydro Reflector 720W LED light stands out because each individual LED has a reflector around it. This will increase efficiency and light coverage.

   Unlike other LED grow lights, MarsHydro grow lights are named based on their true wattage, not just the HPS equivalent.

   This grow light has a full spectrum of red, white, and blue lights, making it ideal for vegetative and flowering growth.

   Thanks to their call center in California, MarsHydro is known for their excellent customer service. This light comes with a three-year warranty and 30-day money back guarantee.

   Find more Marshydro Reflector 720W LED Grow Light information and reviews here.

5. 5. GROWatt 800W LED Grow Light

   

   Price: $399.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Uses OSRAM LED lights
   • 800W
   • Overheating protection shuts off at 62 degrees

   Cons:

   • Not an established brand
   • Not many reviews
   • No warranty

   This GroWant 800W grow light is an excellent choice for growers on a budget.

   It uses OSRAM LEDs developed specifically for indoor growing. These LEDs have a SMD ceramic package with silicone resin and a lens around each LED. They put out less heat than Epistar LEDs, so they last longer. This light has red, blue, UV and IR lights for a wide band spectrum suitable for all stages of growth.

   Find more GROWatt 800W LED Grow Light information and reviews here.

Are these the best LED grow lights under $500?

Yes! Plus, these are all LED grow lights, which can help you save big on energy costs.